THE GRAN CHACO

Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1932, Page 2

THE GRAN CHACO

EXTENSIVE AREA IN DISPUTE. ; - (CONFLICTING -CLAIMS. The Gran Chaco boundary dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay hue dragged on for many years, and been the subject of much negotiation. The main features are clear, said a recent writer in Times.” Bolivia c.-aims a territory .some 100,000 square m:les in area, which is generally known -as the Bo'.ivian-Paraguay Chaco. Ihis area i<s shown as forming part of Bolivia on the ,State maps, but about two-thirds of it jis actually occupied and guarded by Paraguayan armed forces. Paraguay counter-claims not only the eut-re ChOco area, but even the arta-s extend-’ ing far northwards into Central Bolivia. Owing to the violence of local teeing, which cannot be appreciated without a personal visit to the locality, the conflict has sometimes led to bloodshed. (Eastern Bolivia forms a wild and undeveloped. region. about the size of the British Isles, and js 'bounded to the west ’by the Central Bolivian uplands. The natural eastern boundary of Bolivia would i'ltn -along the Paraguay River, but Btfazil holds neatly all the Ever froiitage. The only Boiiviali port on th 0 Paraguay River is at Puerto Shares, situated at the end of a niarSh -lagoon some lo miles in length, and Only navigable during pan of the year for launches and barges. This lack of har-i born* fadl'.ities naturally -tends to eiu| courage the Bolivians in their claims to the Chaco region.

DIFFICULT COUNTRY.

Th e - country consists partly of dense timber forests, with an impenetrable thorny undergrowth, -and partly of -rough grazing 'lands and stretches of thin scattered palm groves! The climate, is moderately tropical, with long spells of drought, but during the rainy season, from November to March, the lower lands are converted into huge muddy marshes. Land transport is carried, on with wagons and pack.ariimaJi along -rough trails. Few .'motor-cans have penetrated into the remote region. The rivers are infested Jwi-th such fish as . the deadly stinging ray;And the pirada—a fierce car? fiivorouk; fish about the . size of a mackerel,' which attacks in mass formation both human beings and; domestic animals,, often inflicting fatal, injuries. -Insect plagues' of incredible .variety range from the huge, 'black tarantula and bi-rd-eati-ng ’ ispiders to the tiny chiga, which has the unpleasant habit,of depositing its -eggs under the toenails of,-the unwary. Legions of vam-, pire bats take a heavy toll of blood: ,'frottl th a Unfortunate pack-animals wheii turned out to graze-, at nights. Thh pibiieers 6f -ISu'ropean ’civilisation in Eastern Bdlivi-a were the Jesuit I’athers, who penetrated into these wildst converting iom 0 of the, Indian® to Christianity, founded agricultural wtoniris; -and built riide churclie? and fcehoohs of wood and mud, some of which are in use to this day. In the wake of the Jesuits came -various Bolivian explorers, and sporadic colonisation began some 70 years ago. Today ; the -population numbers between 8000 -and 9000. .• ‘;

ECONOMIC WEALTH,

1 'The. area -under dispute form’s a triatlgle some (550 miles in length from (OOrth to south, /the apex of which is formed by the junction of the Paraguay and Pilcomayo rivers. Asuncion, -the -capital. of Paraguay, is situated opposite the apex on -the east bank of the Paraguay River. In the isauthqm (portion, of tin’s triangle dW.oniy.ation by Paraguayans and by fbreigners has been carried on for many years. . ' v The chief economic wealth lies in the vast -supplies of quebracho which this area produces. The exploitation of this product constitutes an important -South American industry which has been developed on an immense . scale in the . Argentine Gran Chaco. The name “quebracho” means “the axe. breaker,” and is applied indiscrimin-nte-iy to several species- of trees belonging to ■ the family Anacardi--a-ceae. ■ These trees yield -a hard, heavy, dark red heartwood containing a high tanning content. The extract from these woods forms tlhe basis of moist of the tanning mixtures employed in Europe and America.

Bolivian military headquarters are at (Robore, -a small village -sl-tuated -on a trail some 150 miles to the west of Puerto JSuaaiez, The main Bolivian defences consist of a Un 6 of blockhouses running inland from a point on the Paraguay 'River to the south of 'Puerto Suarez. An opposing Paraguayan line is situated a few miles distance and the whole of this particular river area forms a military territory from which all outsiders are rigorously excluded. Military dispositions of . n similar nature exist on the banks the , Pilcomayo River. In the portion', dj/tbd Ulifico under Paraguayan occupdtioii llh'6 .biihks of rivers are pro-, teefed by forts biii-'t at wide intervals' beWe-efi. which ply s-teamers be'onging to...the. Paraguayan Government. .Pei-i. odicfrl clashes occur between the military patrols of both nations when eng.a,ged in patrolling the land between the lines of block-houses. Careful watch is maintained on any encroachment caused the const,ruction of new b’ock-houises beyond the original lines of defence.